In the first part of our series, Vanco CEO Kevin Lee told you that we would blueprint the steps you can take to help make your busiest giving season a success. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the starting point – putting your vision and financial goals into a plan, and communicating it to your church’s leadership and members.
As guest blogger Ben Stroup recently pointed out, setting your annual budget based on what you’re able to raise during your pledge drive is limiting your potential for growth and for fulfilling your vision.
So now is the time to think without limits about what you truly want to accomplish during the giving season and beyond – determining how you’ll fund that vision comes later. Most important, remember that you can’t be afraid to ask your members to help financially.
Write It Down
First, write down your vision and explain how pledges and seasonal giving will be used to support it. It’s important to invite your leadership and members to share your vision, but it’s unlikely that they’ll simply jump right in. Putting your vision in writing encourages you to anticipate their questions and think more deeply about your plan so that you’ll have answers ready for them.
Your church competes for giving dollars with other charitable organizations, so your members want to know where their money is going and how much their contributions mean. Seeing your vision spelled out helps them understand and encourages them to join in. It also helps you and your leadership stay focused along the way.
Spread the Word
Communication is often a challenge because a church has not clearly defined its vision, mission, and strategy. Before presenting your plan to your members, share your urgency and passion with church leadership and make sure you’re all together.
You should plan frequent meetings with your staff and financial committee, and you can also leverage technology to get your message out. A text message, email reminder, or even a social media post can keep your leadership thinking about your fundraising agenda.
Know the Signs
Help your leadership understand your goals for the year and how they relate to past years’ patterns of giving. Choose the metrics you’ll measure — how members give, how many of them give, and how much they give -- and review which strategies are your most successful. Check in throughout the season with progress updates, and look as a group at any areas that need improvement.
You’ll almost always find positive reinforcement with this approach, and you’ll be able to adjust your communication plan as needed.
Next time: Putting the right tools in place to reach your fundraising goals
Are you thinking of launching e-Giving for your busy season? Here are some ways an executive pastor can help promote adoption that could also work for you.
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